Saginaw coach Watson hoopes to make his Babcockian point

Todd Watson had an up-and-down season behind the Saginaw Spirit's bench, and the former Plymouth Whalers assistant coach told the Saginaw News's Mark Constantine that he's taking a message from Red Wings coach Mike Babcock to heart:

September 12, Saginaw news: The evolution of Watson as a head coach continued this summer when he and Kisil attended a coaching clinic in June sponsored by the National Hockey League, prior to the NHL Draft in Ottawa.

"We got to listen to 16 (NHL coaches), and I remember Mike Babcock talking about saying less," Watson said. "As a young coach you tend to talk too much to the players and carry on. One thing I really learned and that clinic highlighted it, sometimes saying less is best.

"You have to communicate (to your players), but you don't want to talk yourself into a corner. When you talk too much, you can say the wrong thing. Short and to the point is better than talking more."